


Crash & Burn

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Captive, Collars, Issues, M/M, Sad, Stockholm, Stockholm Syndrome, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Victim Blaming, ships, slave - Freeform, space
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:09:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22656043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Lance was captured along with the rest of his team, but ends up separated from them during captivity. Even with Sendak, he's got a bed, food, and is healthy. The others are in cages: together, hungry, without beds and locked in chains.Then they're rescued.
Relationships: Lance/Sendak (Voltron)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 83





	1. Chapter 1

Their castle had been nothing but a small speck in the great big ocean of stars. It hadn't felt that way, while they were defending the solar system, and piloting ancient and terrifying beasts. Lance had always thought they were invincible. It felt that way. Especially with all the members of their team. 

A fearless, selfless leader. 

A proficient, tireless fighter. 

A genius with brains too big for her head. 

A mechanic who could read machines like a book. 

And of course, him. An amazing pilot!

But... Lance didn't feel like one anymore. He couldn't call himself a pilot. And it had been rather surreal to watch all his friends be defeated. He had thought them all unstoppable. It felt like a nightmare, when Sendak had infiltrated their ship during a surprise attack. He remembered Allura, wide eyes catching his. She had made to say something, lifted her hand, and then her body had been blown back in a hail of laser fire. 

Lance blinked a few times. He couldn't get rid of that memory. Nor the one of waking up to find him and his friends all collared and bound like animals. They had been stripped of their uniforms and given grey slave jumpers. Then they had been paraded down to kneel before Zarkon. And holy shit, Lance thought he might piss himself the guy was so huge. But all his friends had kept their heads up. They had looked down Zarkon without fear and Lance struggled to do the same. 

Then, they put them in a cage in a dark cargo hold. Zarkon claimed killing them would only give the lions replacement pilots to seek out. So he stuffed them in a too small box with hay on the ground and bucket that was changed every few days. The first week had been horrible and humiliating. No one had wanted to use the bucket, so Lance had gotten up to use it first after poor Katy had looked ready to actually loose control of her bladder. Their meager, shitty food was rationed between them, chains clinking as they maneuvered around each others' bonds. 

"We'll get out of here," Shiro told them every day. At least, Lance thought it was every day. Their eyes adjusted to the darkness. 

Keith sometimes got random bursts of rage. He'd kick and scream the bars until he was hoarse. Shiro had stopped trying to calm him during his episodes. It was better to let the half-galra release his emotions. He was quiet and subdued the rest of the time. 

Hunk always wore a soft smile. He and Lance had both made it their mission to keep everyone from falling into too deep of a hole. They had a hard time getting Pidge to talk at times. But she liked to tell them stories of her brother and father. It made her voice a little lighter, a little happier. 

Shiro didn't ever let it show how hard the capture was on him. He didn't shout and curse and act irrationally, because Lance knew he wouldn't allow himself. Shiro remained somewhat of a beacon for Lance. He was so strong, and pilot of the blue lion took strength from him every day. Shiro's unwavering courage was almost enough for Lance not to have the occasional meltdown. 

The cage was small. The food and water was meager. The darkness and the hopelessness was getting to all of them. Lance began to wonder... would they be here forever? His question was answered when (in the endless darkness and cramped legs) Sendak came to them.

Zarkon's commander was looking smug. He watched them all with great satisfaction, shining a bright beam of light over their forms. Shiro had stood, chains draping around ankles and wrists, as he made to take all of Sendak's attention for himself. 

"Have you come to gloat?" asked Shiro firmly. 

Sendak's ear twitched. His fangs gleamed in a smile, but it was hard to see past his light. Lance had been practically blinded by it. He reached out for Hunk, grabbing his friend's hand as he felt an involuntary spike in his fear. He hated seeing Sendak's smile. It reminded him of how the galra looked upon Allura's corpse. How he laughed. How Lance tried to fight back and lost so quickly. Hunk gripped his hand back. Katy grabbed his other one, while Keith stood up beside Shiro. Keith's hands kept clenching and unclenching. 

"No, actually," Sendak finally spoke. His light flicked off. Yellow eyes peered through the enveloping darkness, and Lance found that he could barely see the galra anymore. They heard his boots slowly circle around the cage. He struck the bars with his light, making a clanging noise as he went. Lance couldn't help but jump a little. "You're all looking well, for your situation."

There was a low growl from Keith, a sound he'd been having a hard time controlling since their capture. 

Sendak tsked at him, enjoying the situation too much. "I've been off-base, and have been wanting to see how our new guests are settling in. Tell me, Shiro. Are you comfortable? Or would you prefer the arena over this cage?"

There was another growl from Keith. But Shiro didn't say anything. Lance noticed how he went stiff, though. Sendak just laughed boldly. 

"No. Zarkon would prefer you all here, right where he can keep track of you. As for the rest of your team... tell me, Shiro. How much do they mean to you?"

"I'd do anything for them," Shiro bit out. There was an implication in his words, as if he and Sendak had had this talk before. 

"I don't doubt that," Sendak said, a little bored. He circled the cage back to the front before speaking again. "To the point of why I'm here, I'm afraid I'm going to have to break our deal."

Shiro's body jerked. Lance didn't have a clue what Sendak meant by 'deal' but he had a feeling it wasn't good. 

"W-what?" Shiro balked. "I haven't made any trouble for you. We haven't tried to escape, there's no reason-"

"You and your lowly team are slaves," Sendak interrupted cruelly. "I may do as I please. Regardless of any words meant to keep you in line. Guards!"

Sendak gestured to the cage, several soldiers with rifles following in behind him to secure the cage. With his prosthetic missing, Shiro couldn’t fight back very well. Lance felt himself recoil from the hum of the guns powering up, sinking into Hunk who had gathered both him and Katy in his arms. The guns were trained on all of them. Keith hissed and backed up a bit, taking Shiro's arm as if afraid they'd shoot him. Shiro stood his ground though, chin held up as the door swung open and a few soliders stepped inside. Shiro and Keith were immediately pinned to the bars and held there. There was a nasty whack as Keith's head hit the bars, and Katy jerked up to help him. She was grabbed by the wrist by another guard. As she shrieked profanities, Lance made to attack the galra man-handling her too rough. He was hit in the face with a gun butt and made to back up into the corner like Hunk was being corralled. 

"Please, don't hurt them!"

Shiro's panicked voice filled the cell (it was weird, Lance thought, hearing Shiro sound so terrified). Sendak ignored him as he walked in among the fallen humans. He made a bee line straight for Lance, even though the blue pilot didn't see him until he was towering above him. Lance looked up with a startled yelp and quickly tried to put on a brave face. He glared at Sendak, feeling small and weak. Sendak grabbed his face and twisted his head side to side, as if examining him. That smile perked at his lips again. Lance recoiled as soon as those rough hands let go. 

"Take this one," Sendak finally said. 

Lance's ears rung as he was pulled from the cage. His ankles and wrists were free of their chains, but his weak body could only stumble as he was practically dragged away from Hunk who he reached out desperately for. 

"No, wait! Please!" Hunk was begging, but his words turned garbled as a soldier kicked him in the face to get him away.

Lance immediately started to thrash and bite and claw. Anything to get to his best friend. He could hear the other's shouting around him. Heard a few low hums as the rifles warmed up and got ready to fire. He caught Shiro's eyes, wide and horror-stricken as Lance was dragged from the cage and the door was bolted back shut. Lance called out for him. For all of them, kicking and fighting as he was taken from the little cage he hated so much. 

He could do nothing as he was taken from the cold, dark cellar. 


	2. Chapter 2

Lance wasn't sure how much time had passed between leaving the cage and now. Sendak never let him leave his personal quarters - a grand three-room apartment with a bed as soft as silk. Lance was never allowed to leave the bed, either. He was chained by the ankle at its post. It had become his new home. All he knew. Sendak would fuck him all throughout the night after successful missions, or have him warm his cock when he was feeling less energetic. 

Whatever Sendak wanted, he took it from the defeated pilot. 

Lance had been unsure of what would happen after he was dragged from the cage. Sendak had taken him here, pushed him to his knees, and ordered his to suck him off as he withdrew a gnarly purple cock. It had tasted like blood and cum, his face having swelled up from his defiance. 

Lance learned quickly not to ask about his friends. Sendak wouldn't hear of it. Wouldn't even acknowledge their existence. Sometimes, it made Lance wonder if they were even real to begin with. But Sendak preoccupied him by making Lance take his cock when ordered to. It was getting inside him either way. Sendak always took what he wanted. 

In the early days, Lance had fought back. He would mouth off whenever the commander spoke. He learned to keep his mouth shut, or risk earning a phallic gag stuffed down his throat for several suffocating days. He fought against the new clothes he'd been given to wear. Silk and threads in galra purple, and barely enough to cover him up. But after he refused them, Sendak had just tore off his jumper and left him naked. Lance was made to beg for the skimpy clothing after a humiliating walk around the base. The other galra had been exceedingly pleased to taunt him. 

Day after day, week after week, Lance got tired of fighting. Lance slowly came to accept his situation. And with it guilt came often, and it came heavy. He stopped asking about his friends in the cage. He started to force himself not to think about them as he lay down at the foot of Sendak's bed like a dog, sleeping in the warmth of covers while they shivered on cold metal.

He started to willingly take the food Sendak offered him by hand. Sendak would feel him no other way, and made the pilot lick all his fingers clean when he was done. Lance forgot about the humiliation of it all, and only felt shame for receiving such delicious food while his friends starved on meager gruel. 

All he could think was, he got to eat. He got to sleep warm. He wasn't beaten anymore. Sendak treated him rather well, actually. But every time the commander called him 'good boy', or pet through his hair, held him firmly at night, Lance's traitorous thoughts went to his family. His family in the cage. And Sendak could tell. Sendak didn't like it. So everytime Lance's thoughts go the best of him, Sendak would spend the day fucking him into a confused mess. Lance learned not to think about Voltron. It was one of the few things that made Sendak truly furious with him. 

Lance lost himself. He didn't feel human anymore. He was a pet. 

One morning, of the countless he'd woken up to, Lance blinked to find the bed empty. He sat up. Sendak no longer had him chained to the bed. He trusted his pet not to try and escape. He did wear a collar that would shock him should he leave the room. Lance hadn't tried even opening the door, and he was sure Sendak left it unlocked at times just to test him. 

Lance wasn't even sure why he'd wanted to escape in the first place. He sat up, taking the covers and wrapping himself in them as he made for the bathroom. When he finished, he walkd out to find Sendak rushing in with a furious look on his face and stiff posture. Lance felt a spike of fear he hadn't in a long time, wondering what he had done to fuck up this time. He cowered a bit as Sendak looked around, eyes landing on him. 

"Lance. Come here," Sendak said, already walking towards him. Lance met him half-way, quiet and nervous. A strong hand took his chin and Sendak gave him a deep kiss. Lance returned it eagerly, relieved that he didn't seem to be in trouble. Sendak pulled away with a small growl. 

"I'm happy you're still here..." Sendak muttered, more to himself than Lance.

Then he hooked a claw in Lance's collar and pulled him across the room and out into the hall. Lance stumbled after him without protest, wondering why he wasn't wearing his leash instead. Dressed in nothing but a low-hanging pair of silk pants, Lance was bombarded by the noise around him. The corridors were busy and full of life. Soldiers were marching back and forth, carrying their weapons as if ready for battle. Suddenly, the whole ship gave a lurch as if struck by something. Sendak cursed and picked Lance off the ground. He carried him quickly to the infirmary. There were high-security cells were prisoners were treated. Lance had been here a few times during his early days as Sendak's willful pet. He was placed in one of them. 

"I need you be a good boy for me and stay here," Sendak said, claws running over Lance's face. Lance caught his wrist, fear pricking at his skin as the ship lurched again. 

"Master," he began. The title, once bitter on his tongue, came as easily as any another word now. "What's going on?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with, pet," Sendak said. He took Lance's hands in his own and knelt down between his legs, making the pilot sit on the cold bench. "You are not to leave this room for anyone but myself. Do I make myself clear?"

Lance nodded. "Of course, Master."

Sendak gave him another kiss, stood up, and withdrew his own gun. "I'll be back soon. We'll be leaving for another base after this. Somewhere you'll be safer."

Lance only nodded. A slight pang went through him and he caught himself thinking back on the cage and those inside. He blinked a few times, cleared his mind, and nodded again. Sendak smiled, noticing. 

"Good boy."

With that, Lance was left all alone in the room. He held himself, arms cold, as the ship shook again. This time, he heard the clear sounds of an explosion. He was forced to sit on the floor or risk flying off the bench. It gave a jolt as the explosions came in quicker successions. Lance put his head between his knees to wait it out. 


	3. Chapter 3

Lance kept his head down for what felt like hours. The sounds of fighting were muffled in the cell, but he heard it grow louder as time passed. It sounded like a full on war out there. His fingers itched for his rifle, and he quickly berated himself for such thoughts. He wasn't a sniper, he was just a slave. 

Then the door gave a hiss as it was unlocked. Lance looked up, expecting Sendak but seeing only a trio of galra soldiers in Zarkon's uniforms. The leader pointed at him. 

"Sendak's given us orders to take you out of here," he said. 

Lance stood up, feeling nervous. Sendak had told him only to leave if it was with him. But... they were galra he'd seen under his Master's command. And judging by the sounds that had flooded into the cell, he was sure Sendak might be held up at the moment. He nodded and walked to them, taken by the arm as they pushed him into their circle and began a brisk pace out into the corridors. 

It was chaos. Aliens of all variety were fighting against Zarkon's men. Lance was kept safe among the soliders, gun fire raining around them. Lance saw an alien's head field with holes as they dropped to the ground. He had to walk over them, crying out as a laser struck his arm. Not by much. He held it, as the soldiers made quick work of the rebels on the other side of the hall. Then, they took Lance deeper into the bowels of the ship. He was surprised to be escorted to a row of escape pods. A few had already been taken. 

"Get him in there and alert Sendak. Put the timer on too," the leader ordered. 

Lance let them strap him into the pod's seat, locking him in adjusting the straps. They gave a thumbs up to their leader as another explosion rocked the ship. 

The leader growled and placed a hand to their ear piece. "Sendak! The target is secure. Get your ass down here, now! I can't play babysitter."

There was static and Lance heard the faint voice of his Master. The other galra shook his head. 

"You said you'd be here- ugh, never mind! I'm keeping a guard here, but I can't stand by. You have twenty doboshes until the pod's gone, so hurry it up." There was a pause. "The damage to the hull is bad. The pods won't be able to detatch themselves if the power goes out there! Twenty, Sendak. Take it or leave it."

Lance watched the galra nod and turn off his communicator. He pointed to one of the guards and ordered them to stay while he and the other galra took off back to battle. Lance didn't like being left alone with strangers. He felt his emotions get the best of him. He wanted Sendak. He wanted to go back to sleep and not think. Not feel anything. All this chaos was stirring up old and familiar feelings inside him. It was dangerous. Sendak would be mad to know he wanted his rifle. Wanted to fight. And the guard said nothing, leaving Lance to his own head, his own turmoil. He was so lost in trying to ignore his own thoughts, that he didn't see the rebels before his galra guard was lying dead on the floor. He looked up, shocked, as a few aliens secured the door and fanned out around the room. One of them rushed over to his pod. 

"Holy shit, I think we found him," the rebel gawked. 

"Really?" Another asked, running forward. Lance didn't like the attention. He shied away from them, wondering where Sendak was. "Are you Lance Mclain? Pilot of the Blue Lion?"

Lance opened his mouth but couldn't answer. He felt tears well up in his eyes. He hadn't heard someone speak of Blue in so long. Her huge, comforting face flashed like a bullet in his mind and he grabbed his head as if in pain. More tears leaked down his face, but he was otherwise in control. The rebels chatted around him. He ignored them, trying not to think of Blue. To push her memory away. But the face remained, and a presence wormed itself into his head like an eager parasite. He gasped as he felt a forgotten touch. 

_B... Blue?_ he gingerly reached out with his mind, touching the quintessence of his lion. He felt her roar when they connected. Another explosion shook the ship. He knew it was her. He knew it was his lion out there, helping cause the chaos. Warmth bloomed in his chest. Calm gentleness urged him to open his mind wider to her. But a horrible terror gripped him at the same time. He shut Blue out with a mental clamp, feeling her cold worry as he lost connection. 

Lance didn't know what to do as the rebels tried to move him. The warmth Blue gave him evaported, and he almost let her back in jsut to feel it again. But purple overtook blue. Sendak would be upset with him. It was the only thought that seemed to matter. It made him suddenly fight back against the rebels. They tried to tell him that he was okay, that they wanted to help, but Lance wouldn't here it. If he didn't fight back, Sendak would think he wanted to go. 

In the end, the rebels were forced to knock him out with the butt of a weapon. 


	4. Chapter 4

When Lance woke up, he was in an umfamiliar room. He'd been changed out his pants into a simple pair of trousers and a t-shirt a few sizes too big for him. He reached up, feeling light now that his collar was gone. Panic surged through him, and he looked around the room for it. As if it hadn't been taken by the rebels. The room had nothing but a bed and table. There was a box of food on the table and water. The food was just packaged rations - something to eat when traveling long distances. He ignored it, but did sip at the water. 

The door was locked. He wanted to knock, but indecision gripped him. It felt weird without Sendak here. He wanted his Master. Master knew what to do. Master did all his thinking for him. Lance shook his head, and went back to sit on the bed. He curled up and tried not to think. 

A varga or so later, the door opened. Lance looked up to an unfamilair alien. They greeted him warmly, said he was free of Zarkon's clutches, and offered him a bowl of hot food. Lance took it, not saying a word. He jsut let the alien talk. It was rather chatty. 

"We've just docked onto home base," they told him. "You and the rest of Voltron are safe now. We're rebels who were inspired by your courage and sacrifice. We won't let Zarkon hurt you anymore."

Lance stared at them, a bit uncomprehending. It didn't feel right, to be talking of Zarkon like the enemy. He was just his Master's boss. A man he really didn't have an opinion on. Or did he? Lance groaned as he tried not to think about it. The alien mistook this for a physical wound and started to fret over him. It was then, that Lance found his voice. 

"I'm sorry, I'm just... where are we?"

"We call it Spe-Five. It's a moon outside of Zarkon's influence. You're friends are already there. They're very eager to see you again. I'm..." the alien paused, looking away as if worried to offend. "I'm so sorry you had to suffer for so long."

Lance's heart skipped beat at the mention of his friends. His head ached again. He refused to think about them. "Um... how long? How long was I..."

The alien looked at him with pity. "Five phoebs, I'm afraid."

Almost six months. That was it? Lance had thought it'd been years, to be honest. He thanked the alien for the meal, but made no move to pick it up off the table. The alien seemed to understand, and told him that they'd be back soon when they docked. They were nearing the moon now. Lance only nodded, numb. 

The numbness had turned to shaky nerves. Lance walked down the long halls of grey and white, footsteps too loud in his head as a rebel lead him along. Lance kept reaching up to grab at his collar, expecting the tug of a leash. He walked freely, feeling too light on his feet. His thoughts raced. He was going to see his team. Ten they switched around, trying not to think about it. 

Lance almost laughed at himself. His head hurt. He felt a mess. He didn't want to see his old friends. He could barely recall their faces. 

The rebel gave him a worried backwards glance, then paused before the door. They cleared their throat. "They're right through here. They've been waiting for you."

Lance watched with bated breath as the alien pushed into the door pad. The door itself opened up and Lance stepped into a large meeting room with a huge table and a large glass wall that gave way to a beautiful view of space. The lights had been dimmed incredibly low. Clustered near the table's front, was them. Lance felt his heart in his head. He swayed as if dizzy, and caught himself on the doorframe. 

It was really them. He didn't think seeing them would hit him so hard, but his breath was literally knocked out of him. Hunk was the first to see him. He looked like he'd lost so much weight. There was a big scar on his cheek too. They all looked starved and roughed up, though. There was a fragile paleness to all of them. A sunken-ness to their cheeks. Lance himself had been well-fed and cleaned. He looked healthy, and a terrible shame pooled into his gut. He'd just... forgotten about them. Forgotten and enjoyed himself. 

They were dressed in the same clothes as he was, and Lance figured they'd been given time to shower and clean up. He could only wonder how they'd looked when found in the cell. 

"Lance!" Hunk looked so happy though. A huge smile broke over his face and he ran over to Lance. The ex-blue pilot jumped a little, unable to control his features. He could only stare at Hunk like he was a ghost. It brought the mechanic to a pause, arms falling to his side as he looked closer at his best friend. "Buddy? Are you okay?"

"Hunk?" Lance tested the name on his tongue. God, it felt... it felt good. A sob bubbled up past it, but he manged to keep it in. He couldn't be weak. Not when his friends had suffered so much. 

"Yeah, man, it's me!" Hunk's smile returned and Lance took the last few steps to him, enveloping him in a hug. "I missed you so much, Lance," Hunk was saying. "I... I was so scared they did something to you. Sendak wouldn't tell us where they took you."

Lance stiffened at the name of his Master. Conflicting thoughts battered in his head and he wanted to cry again. He hugged Hunk tighter, burying his face in his chest and refusing to move. Lance had no idea what he'd do if he let go. Hunk's hands came over his back, rubbing tiny circles. 

"Lance. Did... did they hurt you?"

Lance furiously shook his head. How could Hunk ask that?! Lance was in a million times better shape than any of them, and Hunk was worried about him. Lance lifted his head to look up at his buddy. 

"I just missed you," he said. 

"I missed you too. So fucking much." 

Lance was a bit surprised to hear him curse. Hunk gently pulled away, hand still on his shoulder as he urged him over to the rest of the group. Lance's nerves jumped on him again. He couldn't look Keith in the eye, and he couldn't bare to see how much tinier and frail Katy was looking. God, she was so young. So he looked up at Shiro, who was studying him with soft eyes. He was missing his prosthetic arm, but put his other hand on Lance's shoulder. Lance was horrified to see a terrible burn stretching up the good arm. 

"I'm fine," Shiro said, noticing his gaze. "We really missed you."

"Yeah," Katy said behind him. Her voice was shaky, like she was about to cry. She punched him gently in the arm. "We thought you were dead, you asshole. Not even a letter?"

"I... I didn't..." Lance's voice fluttered past his lips involuntarily. He wanted Sendak here. He wanted to not feel like his head was going to explode. All these horrible feelings were crashing through him like tidal waves, and it felt impossible to sort them out. Outside himself though, he looked numb and confused. He reached out and grabbed Shiro's wrist, feeling the skin as if to make sure it was real. Shiro started in surprise, but let him. 

"You look... good," Keith's small voice sidled beside him. Lance felt another spike of panic, but he turned to look at the red pilot. Keith looked tired and slumped, but otherwise still had a glint in his dark eyes. They looked over Lance, and he felt increasingly self-conscious. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"T-they?" Lance stuttered. He cleared his throat, trying to sound firm. "I mean, no. No, I'm fine. I'm more worried about you guys."

Lance was pulled into a hug. He froze, feeling Keith's arms slide around his body and give one solid grip. Then he let go. Keith was looking at the ground. Then Katy hugged him from behind - a quick squeeze as she told him that she missed him. 

"We really thought you were dead, Lance," she said shakily. "Don't leave us like that again."

"No," Shiro said. "We won't let them separate us again. We're safe here. These rebels have built an amazing home base. We can recover, rest..." Shiro closed his eyes, sighing as if it was a huge relief t even say. "We can heal."

Lance wasn't sure were he fit into all this. His throat tightened and he reached back up, fingers failing to find the tag with his name engraved in the metal. 

This was it? He thought. No more Sendak? 


	5. Chapter 5

Lance had went to bed early that night. They all did. His room was simple. Bed, desk, shelf, and a bathroom to the side. He felt cold, sleeping alone. But the others' rooms were right next to his in the hallway. He could have knocked if he wanted company. Instead, he went to sleep trying to not think of everything that just happened. Of what he'd have to deal with in the morning. 

When Lance woke up, it was too a light knock at his door. He took a moment to wash his face before finding Hunk on the other side. His heart gave another jolt when he saw his friend's smiling, if tired, face. Hunk wrapped him up in a sudden hug. 

"Sorry," the mechanic said, setting him down. "I just... really missed you."

Lance could only nod and return the hug. Hunk gave him a quick glance, then asked if he was hungry. He had made breakfast. 

"It's felt so amazing to be able to cook again!" Hunk gushed. "I'm a little rusty, so don't go too hard on me."

Lance forced a smile. "You're food never disappoints, Hunk."

"Come on, I bet you're hungry."

Lance was, a bit. But his stomach still felt queasy. He felt strange walking these halls that weren't gray and purple. Felt weird waking up without a strong, warm body encircling him or fucking him awake with a huge cock. He blinked, realizing he had stopped in the middle of the cooridor. Hunk was staring at him worriedly, a few feet ahead. 

"You okay?"

"Sorry, still tired," Lance lied. He put a hand to his head. "And hungry too."

"Well, I got you covered there."

They walked into a small kitchen area just down the hall. Like before, all the lights were dimmed. Katy was nibbling on a pancake with her head down, sitting between Keith and Shiro who were half-way through a more decent sized stack. There was a plate already laid out for Lance. A pitcher of orange juice and water had been set out. It looked so much like a simple, family breakfast. Hunk patted his shoulder, urging him to sit and taking the seat next to him. 

"Good morning, Lance," Shiro greeted, smiling warmly. There was syrup running down his chin. Shiro had never been a messy eater before. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good," Lance replied automatically. "The rooms are nice."

"And the computers are even better," Katy said. Lance looked over, realizing that she had a tablet in her lap. She shut it off and put in aside, fork picking at her pancakes. She hadn't eaten much, Lance thought. "I never thought I'd get to burn my retinas with a screen again."

Hunk laughed at her, tired eyes grinning. "I'm happy to see your addiction is still thriving."

"Thriving and healthy as a bull."

"They built a private workout room too," Keith spoke up. "I can't wait to fucking move again. Fucking galra."

Shiro nodded. "I think we'd all enjoy it. But... no training."

"What? Why?" Keith asked. 

"Not yet. Please?" 

There was no argument. Keith simply nodded and went back to eating. Lance blinked. Everyone was just acting so normal, so relaxed. They had been together all this time, though, so it shouldn't be a surprise that they spoke so effortlessly. Lance felt a little left out. A sharp urge to go home struck him. His hand came back up, now scratching at his throat where his tag hung. He stared at his pancakes, then the fork. His heart hammered. 

_"Open wide, sweet boy."_

_Fingers traced along his bottom lip. A claw swiped across his teeth, leaving a small bite of meat there. Lance opened his mouth for another, willing and eager, starving after refusing to eat from Master's hands. Because of pride. Pride got you nothing but pain._

Lance's hand stayed in his lap until it stopped shaking. He grabbed the fork, but it felt rather unnatural. He made to saw off a piece of pancake, but his hand slipped the utensil clattered over his plate. He felt eyes on him and tried to will away the heat rising to his cheeks. He grabbed the fork and stabbed his cake, pulling the thing to his mouth to bite off a piece instead. He felt the eyes linger, then leave. 

"So...." Lance looked up to Katy, who'd pushed aside her half-eaten meal. She was looking at Lance. "Um, what happened, Lance? After... they took you?"

"Katy," Shiro scolded. 

"Well, we're all thinking it!" 

Lance set his fork back down. His mind raced a million miles a second, trying and failing to think of anything other than, 'I sucked Sendak's cock'. 

"Nothing happened," he said, slow and controlled. "I was just locked up and left alone."

"All by yourself?" Hunk asked. "Why did they even take you in the first place?"

Lance shrugged, wanting the attention off of him. "I don't know."

"And nothing else happened?" Keith asked beside him. 

A huge flare of defensive anger rose up in Lance. He tried to bash it down, but its ugly head had reared. He turned his face down to his lap. The table went quiet around him. 

"I was just... alone..." Lance finally said. "That's it."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to strike a nerve," Katy said honestly. Lance shook his head. 

"Ah, no, I'm sorry. I'm still tired, is all. It's just still kind of weird to see you all again."

"We're not leaving again," Hunk told him. "Never again."

Lance nodded, reaching out and giving Hunk's hand a solid squeeze. His mind wondered if his urge to return to Sendak were real. Or if the galra had put them there himself. Lance's head ached, and he was too tired to think about it. "Promise, then?" he asked instead. 

"Promise." The whole table agreed. 


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days, Lance found excuses to stay in his room. It was hard to be around the rest of the team at times. They were laughing with each other and smiling, and Lance couldn't do that. It was always forced. It made him angry and sad, and he'd wake up crying and reaching out for Sendak. He wanted theses thoughts gone. He wanted these feelings gone. He wanted to feel nothing. 

But... did he really want to be some cock-riding pet? His face heated with shame as his crotch twinged in arousal. His fist came down between his legs, hovering, then pulling back. He went to the shower and turned it to the coldest setting. 

Lance knew the other's were going to notice. But he didn't really care anymore. He kept to himself in his room, sometimes going to bed early and skipping dinner because it was too exhausting to keep up normal conversations. The others were getting better. They were filling out, diving back into old passions and helping each other through bad days. Lance felt like everyday was a bad day for him, so he kept them to himself. 

One day, instead of Hunk at his door, it was Shiro. Lance had meant to mumble an excuse about taking a nap, but Shiro asked if he could come in and talk. Lance followed Shiro to the bed, sitting beside him and trying not to look impatient. 

"I wanted to ask if things were okay," Shiro began. "I want you to know that, you can talk me. Any one of us. You know that?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Lance said. He was giving a disbelieving look. He wilted under it. "We all went through stuff, Shiro."

"Hunk, Katy, Keith and I went through stuff together," Shiro said. "But you... you had face things alone. Whatever it was-"

Lance stood up, snapping. His anger rose quickly. "Why do you think anything even happened, huh?"

Shiro was quiet, the answer already in front of him. Lance turned away. 

"Nothing happened, Shiro."

The conversation was over before it began. His leader left with a parting message. 

"We're here for you, Lance. Forever and always."

Lance stayed in his room the next few days. He'd been given the opportunity to see Blue, but had simply shaken his head without an explanation. It had been Hunk who ran to him to tell him they were going to see their lions. Hunk had left confused and looking a little hurt. Lance went straight for his bed, covering his head with a pillow and wondering why the thought of Blue made him feel sick. Hearing the others footsteps wander to meet their own lions made him feel even worse.

Lance screamed into his pillow. Tears stuck to his face and he berated himself for not going and seeing Blue. She missed him. He missed her. It should be simple. Right? 

Then, as if she had heard his thoughts, he felt her trickle of consciousness push gently against his. He felt her worry. Felt her wondering why she hadn't arrived with the other paladins. He cut her off again, ignoring the shame of doing so. He rolled under his blankets and shut his eyes as tightly as he could. More tears leaked from him but he struggled to hold them back. 

_"Weak,"_ he heard Sendak's voice fill his head. A memory only days before his rescue coming to mind. 

_"Pliant... Laying under me like a fuck-doll. That's what you were meant for, wasn't it Lance? It feels good to warm my cock. To know you've finally found your proper place."_

_Lance moaned under him, face sweaty and flushed in the sheets as he rocked with Sendak's rough motions. His own cock was hard and leaking. He wasn't allowed to touch himself though, and only squirmed back against his Master's hips. A hand knotted in his hair and lifted him up. His back was flush to Sendak's chest, his teeth nipping in his ear as he coated his face in hot breath._

_"I wanted to take you in the cage-"_

_Lance's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly became aware of who he was and where he was. Sendak never talked about the cage. Lance earned his fair share of pain for even bringing it up. He fell back into his slave mindset though as Sendak licked a trail up his neck._

_"I like having you here for myself. My weak, pathetic pet, taking my strong cock. It's a role you were born for."_

_Lance shut his eyes and pushed back on Sendak. He wanted to forget the faces filing into his head. He wanted to forget that terrible, burning ache that seemed to split him open when his thoughts wandered to his friends. He just wanted to please Sendak. To make him cum, to ride him and, and...._

Lance woke up with a gasp. He turned, thrashing a bit in his sweat-soaked sheets as he looked for the body that had just been fucking him. He held a hand to his head as he calmed down. He had fallen asleep, he realized. The little clock by his bedside let him know that he'd fallen asleep for several hours. He had dreamed of Sendak again.

More tears sprung from his eyes. He buried his hands in his face and tossed himself out of bed. He ran cold water and got under the shower with his clothes still on. The desire to please Sendak, to return to him, was strong. So was his sudden terror that he'd be severely punished for leaving in the first place. Lance held his head under the water to muffle his sobs. 

"Fuck, I can't do this," Lance muttered.

His head hurt. He felt like a traitor. But the feelings were so strong. His hand came back up and groped at the hollow in his throat. Their was no collar. Lance cursed and instead knotted his fingers in the curtain. He tugged it from the pole, thrashing it to the side and then throwing his fists against the shower wall. He wasn't sure when he slid onto the floor or sat still and crying under the now freezing water. 

"I'm weak," he moaned. "Fuck, I'm weak. I'm too weak."

There was a knocking at his door. Worried, loud knocking. Lance stayed under the shower, blinking away the tears and rubbing at his face. He turned off the water, calling out in a voice he tried to make strong, that he needed a moment to change. When he peeked out the door, Katy was there, looking up at him with a poorly hidden veil of concern. 

"You were crying," she said suddenly. 

Lance balked, almost shutting the door in her face. "Was not!" 

"Lance..." she began, voice small. Lance quieted, unable to look her in the eyes. "I just wanted to see you. You didn't come see the lions today... and Blue misses you."

"I know," he said too quickly. Then sighed, rubbing at the back of his head. "How does she look?"

"Come and see for yourself."

"I... not right now..."

"Why?"

"Because, Katy, that's why."

"Lance. Please. You can talk to us."

He wasn't sure what else to say. Just looked down at Katy and finally forcing himself to make eye contact. It look like she'd been crying too. 

"It's late," he said. "What are you doing up?"

"I heard you."

"Oh... I wasn't trying to be loud."

"I figured..."

A moment of silence stretched on between them. Lance found his thoughts wandering back to Sendak, and tried to reel them in before he could lose himself again.

"Hey, Katy."

"Yeah?"

"How are you holding up?"

She shrugged stiffly, suddenly clamming up. Lance noticed the way her lips wobbled and the shine in her eyes became sharper. 

"We were really scared when Sendak took you," she said. There was a hitch in her voice. She was trying not to cry. "I really thought you were dead. That bastard came back to us a few times and made it seem like that was the case." Her head lowered. Tears finally dropped to the ground. Then her body was up against his, her tiny form clamping around his middle like a vice. Lance looked down at her, hands up in shock.

"I miss you, Lance! I don't want to keep feeling like you're not here with us! Come back to us! Let us help you!"

Tears brimmed in Lance's eyes. His hands stiffly fell over Katy and he melted into her hug. His cheek came to rest on the top of her head, all thoughts of galra temporarily suspended. 

"I... I'm sorry, Katy. I missed you, too. More than anything else in the galaxy, I wanted to be back with you guys."

"We're here now," she said into his shirt. 

Lance felt his shame bubble up again. But this time, it felt different. It was a shame he hadn't noticed, of hiding from his friends while they too licked their own wounds. He held Katy a little tighter, then let go and crouched so he was eye level with her. She blinked up at him. 

"Katy... I..." He swallowed. What was he suppose to say? 

"You don't have to explain yourself," Katy said softly. She took his hands in her own. "Shiro wants to have group sessions. Therapy, I guess... Come with me, tom morrow morning. I'll wake you up."

Lance couldn't help his tired smile, despite the current of panic he felt at the idea. But he wanted to be strong. He wanted to get better, and this seemed like the right step to take. He nodded. 

"Okay, short-stack," he said. "Sounds like a plan."

And he hadn't seen such hope in Katy's eyes as he had right then. 


	7. Chapter 7

When Katy knocked on his door, Lance realized that he had only said yes in a moment of weakness. He was terrified to actually talk to any one, but kept himself calm as he slid open the door and greeted a tired-looking Katy. She was smiling though. It relaxed him a bit, and Lance took her hand as she tugged him out of his room. 

"Come out here before you change your mind. You looked like you were going to hide away again."

"I'm awake, I'm following you," Lance reassured her. "Um, where are we going?"

"Living quarters. Um, everyone is already there."

"Oh."

Indeed they were. Keith, Shiro and Hunk looked up expectantly as they entered the room. They were sitting in a circle with two empty seats. Lance took a seat beside Hunk, Katy by Shiro and Keith across from him. Lance gulped and looked down at his thumbs. 

"I'm really happy to see here," Shiro said. Lance looked to the side, not quite looking his leader in the face. 

"Uh, yeah. No problem. So... what are we doing exactly?"

It was Shiro's turn to look uncomfortable, as if unsure of how to go about this. "Well, I think it'd be best to open up and talk. I know all of us have been experiencing issues with what happened. I know personally that it helps to have the support of your team."

"To be honest," Katy began. She was picking at her pant leg. "I, um, I'm not sure how much I'll talk."

"And that's okay," Shiro said. "We're here to encourage each other. Not pressure."

Lance felt a few eyes glance his way. He kept his gaze to the floor, though. 

"Well, to be honest..." It was Hunk who began. "I haven't been sleeping too well recently. I keep having, um, bad dreams."

There was a collective agreement among the group, as if everyone were facing the issue. 

"Did you want to share what about?" Shiro asked. 

"Well," Hunk said warily. "It's nothing in particular. Mostly it's about being in the dark... Uh. I feel kind of silly saying this, but I think I don't like the dark. At all."

"Same," Katy muttered. "It's hard to sleep if it's too dark. I'll sometimes wake up and think I'm.... back in that fucking cage."

"Yes!" Hunk said. There was relief in his voice, as if he hadn't expected agreement so readily. "Exactly, Katy. It's really starting to get to me."

"I've been using night lights," Shiro said. His cheeks flushed a bit at the admittance. "They've been helping. I could get you both some."

Keith, who'd had his head down and arms crossed, muttered, "Uh, could I get one?"

"Of course."

The therapy session didn't go on for much longer after that. Lance was quiet the whole time, letting the everyone (but an equally quiet Keith) talk about the dark and their time during the night. Lance felt more pangs of guilt and shame spear through him. He had no issue with the dark. If anything, he welcomed it. So he avoided jumping into the conversation and listened. When they were done, Hunk asked if they wanted to watch a movie and hang out. Lance had declined. Surprisingly, the others did too. 

The talk, as small as it had been, was mentally taxing. 


	8. Chapter 8

A week passed. 

Shiro had gotten the team together for more talking sessions. He also invited them to join him for group workouts, which were usually easygoing and laid-back. A harsh contrast to the grueling difficulty of their past training. It was to help their bodies' get back into shape. Lance wasn't sure he needed it as much as the others. Sendak kept him busy and moving a lot of the time, but he had spent many hours in bed. The burn of the workout felt nice. It seared away his bad thoughts and gave him a new pain to focus on. A good, progressive pain. 

A few times, the others left the area to go explore the base. The rebels had built a town around the side of the moon - a make-shift collection of old salvage that was home to many escapees of the Galra empire. Lance had declined to leave their quarters every time. It was during on of these days (Katy and Hunk had both begged him to come, but relented after the fourth ask) that the group left to go window shopping. Keith had seemed reluctant, but went with the claim that he was bored. 

Lance was left all alone. 

He spent the time in bed, trying to catch up on sleep after a nasty nightmare the other night. When he found himself too restless, he went to the workout room to do some stretches and to jog a few laps. He was barely ten minutes into his lax routine, before he heard a strange noise. Lance paused, straining his ears. It was some kind of hum. 

Wondering if Hunk left some equipment on in the kitchen, Lance snuck out the room to investigate. He realized it was coming from the living quarters. More specifically, Katy's tablet. He walked over to where it sat on the table. The screen was black, save for a red circle in the middle, rotating. The humming sound was loud and obnoxious - a high-pitched trill that kind of hurt his ears. Lance found that he was unable to turn it off. 

He unclipped a communicator from his belt. Shiro had given everyone one. He had been very clear to keep them on at all times. Lance flipped the switch and spoke. 

"Hey, Katy, hate to interrupt your day out, but your tablet is making funny noises. Should I turn it off?"

There was a pause. Her voice came over, staticy and muffled. His frowned. The communicators were usually pretty clear. "Hard to hear, I'm sorry. What is it doing?"

"Uh," Lance picked it up, flipping it to the back as if he'd find the source of the noise. "The screen is black and there's a red loading thingy on the front. It think it's broken. It's making a super annoying whine or something."

There was a pause. "Shit, Lance. Someone's trying to hack into it. Destroy it."

"Wait, destroy it?"

"Yes! Now, destroy it now! The rebels warned us about galra hackers! There's shit on there we can't have the empire get!"

Fear speared through Lance and he raised the tablet over his head, bringing it down over the table's edge. It bent and the screen partially shattered. It dropped to the floor but it wasn't fully broken. Lance went to pick it up again, startled when the humming turned to a full-fledged alarm. The tablet was beat to nothing and left on the tiles. Lance picked up his communicator. 

"Uh, it's broken."

"Good. We're heading back over."

Lance waited in the kitchen for them to arrive. Katy was quick to invesitage the trampled mess of her computer. 

"How long was it humming for?" she asked. 

"Uh, I don't know. But it started making some loud alarm sound."

"Shit. How long?"

"A few seconds. Why?"

Katy shook her head, looking at Shiro. "I installed the alarms to warn me if someone was trying to get into the computer. It sounds like they weren't trying to take control, just looking for something. And they found it, whatever it was..." She sighed, dropping the tablet. "We won't know what they saw. i should have kept the damn thing on me."

"What could they have found?" Keith asked. 

"Green's logistics, mostly," Katy said. "Our coordinates could be figured out, but only if the hacker doing the job was skilled enough. I can't beleive they even got into my tablet in the first place. Fuck, I should have-"

"It's not your fault. It's no one's," Shiro said firmly. "We'll let the base leaders know and go from there. There's no reason to worry."

"Not yet anyway," Katy muttered. 

"Come on, they probably didn't see anything. Lance took care of it," Hunk said. 

"Honestly, it's for the best you stayed," Katy agreed. "So, thanks for smashing my stuff."

Lance's lips drew into a smile, despite the situation. "Anytime, short-stack."

"Come on, I'll make us dinner," Hunk said. "We were heading to find food before you called us."

Lance helped Hunk in the kitchen, leaving the others to tidy up around the quarters until it was ready. By the time they sat down to eat, Lance had already forgotten about the little red circle. 


	9. Chapter 9

"Lance? Is there anything you'd like to share?"

Lance glanced up at Shiro. They were all attending another group therapy session, talking about nothing in particular this time around. It was mostly banter and complaining about the lack of ingredients here on Hunk's end. Lance, during the talk, had been trying to build up the courage to speak. He'd been wanting to open up more about what happened with Sendak. _Wanting,_ being the key word. His internal anxiety over the matter must have been obvious. 

"Uh, well... I've been thinking," Lance began. He grew quiet, feeling heat flush his face. He was clueless how to go about this. But he wanted his friends - his family - to know. He'd been getting past thoughts of Sendak as his Master. He'd been fighting the urge to want to return to him. Lance had thought he was just fucked in the head. Then, a few nights ago, he had borrowed an extra laptop from Katy. 

He had looked up Stockholm syndrome. It seemed to be the best way to describe how he felt, but he didn't like putting the label on himself. But it also made sense. He missed Sendak. He had felt (at least at they felt real) actual feelings for the galra. Feelings that still hit him at the worst possible moments. Like right now. All eyes were on him. It was a lot. He felt scared and vulnerable. A sudden pang struck him. He'd rather be in Sendak's bed, thoughts blank as a hand carted through his hair and the galra lazily read beside him. 

"Lance?"

Lance blinked. He hadn't realized he had fallen back to that memory, nor did he realize just how shaky he'd gotten. Shiro was looking at him worriedly, and a hand had come up to steady him from Hunk. 

"I wasn't alone... when they took me," Lance felt himself say. "I... I lied about that."

Shiro nodded. Hunk gave him a gentle squeeze. Lance felt another pang of vulnerability. His hands wouldn't stop shaking so he tucked them between his knees. 

"I'm sorry, I-" his voice cracked and tears blurred his vision. He shut them, mentally berating himself for being weak. He hadn't even started talking yet, for god's sake!

"It's okay." Keith was talking. Lance blinked up to see him leaning forward in his chair, face peering at Lance with a gentleness he hardly ever saw in the other. "Take your time. We're here for you."

"I just... I just..." Lance's words fumbled, and he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"I wish I had stayed in that cage with you! I- I wish Sendak had just killed me instead of-" His words choked off. Hunk's hand gripped him and Lance felt himself rip away. The chair harshly scooted back under him. Lance was shaking all over, feeling sick with himself. He looked at Hunk's startled face. More shame gushed through his bloodstream. Had he just said he wished he'd died? In front of them? Lance shook his head, and found himself mumbling apologies. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that-"

"Dude, you're safe," Hunk was standing too, but wasn't moving towards him. Lance couldn't see anyone else, just stared at those wide, worried eyes and tried to find his head. 

"I know, I know," he repeated. "I know, I just... fuck, it feels like Sendak's in my head, telling me how to feel, what to think."

Lance looked up when Keith spoke, the man standing up from his chair, having taken a few steps towards Lance during his outburst. His face was hard, but his eyes were boring into Lance with worry. 

"Sendak was with you that whole time?"

Lance looked away. 

"I was with him a lot. I..." _Leashes, chains, a creaking bed, that fanged smile pressing against his struggling face._ "I'm really fucking scared he's gonna come back."

Keith seemed to stiffen up at that, but he was blocked by Shiro who took a tentative step towards Lance. 

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe, Lance. I'm never going to let that happen again. We're here, buddy. We're here and we're far from any galra reach."

Lance nodded, reaching out and finally grabbing Hunk, simply because his mind was telling him not to - the part that sounded so much like Sendak. He drew Hunk in for a hug and felt safer pressed up against such a soft body. So unlike Sendak's. 

"I wasn't allowed to even think of you guys," Lance croaked. "I felt so horrible, but I... I couldn't even remeber your faces-" his voice cut off on a sob, and he struggled to reel himself back in. "Sendak controlled everything. He fucking took my thoughts. He took my-" _body, dignity, virgnity._ Lance let his words trail off, sinking into Hunk and letting his tears still themselves. He felt so tired all of the sudden. He was done talking. He knew he had nothing else to say tonight. 

"I don't want to sleep alone, anymore," Lance said instead. 

And from then on, the living quarters were stacked with cots and pillows and blankets. It was suggestion that everyone took to readily. Lance found it a lot easier to sleep with the other bodies around him. If he woke up from a nightmare, no one asked questions. They just soothed him until he fell back under. In turn, Lance did the same for them. It seemed no one was free of the occasional night terror. 


	10. Chapter 10

Two days later, Lance and the rest of the team had fallen asleep to a movie. It was just past midnight and at Shiro's cot side, his communicator went off. He was up and holding it to his ear seconds before the signal fully came through. 

_"-oming in, Shiro, I'm issuing a code red! Over!"_ the voice of the general who'd aided in their escape came through. Shiro sat up, alert as everyone else slowly blinked themselves. 

"General Wex, This is Shiro," his voice was deathly serious. "I copy. Over."

_"We're being attacked on the West side of the base! It's galra. We're sending a unit to you for transportation. Over."_

Shiro was on his feet, the lights coming on as Lance got up too. He felt shaky. The galra were here? He looked over at Shiro, pale-faced. 

"What did they mean transportation? Where are we going?"

"Off base. I don't know the exact name of the planet, but its far from here."

"We're not fighting?" asked Keith. 

"No. Not today," Shiro said. "Everyone, grab what you can't live without and meet me back here. The West side of the planet is a several miles away, so this shouldn't be anything exciting. Got it?"

Everyone nodded. Keith didn't argue. If anything, since they'd returned from their captivity, Keith had been rather docile. He still had his moments, sure, but he didn't train like he used to. He visited Red often, but hadn't brought up Voltron once. No one had brought up Voltron, actually. Not even Shiro. Lance stayed behind with the leader while everyone left to grab a few things from their rooms. Lance hadn't picked up anything of value. A lot of his things were in Blue. 

He promised himself he could have them back when he actually spoke to her. But Blue could see in his head. She would know exactly what happened with Sendak, and he wasn't ready. He wasn't sure he'd ever be ready. 

"Hey, Shiro."

"Yeah?"

"Are the lions coming?"

Shiro paused, as if not expecting that question. "Kind of. I'll explain on the way. We'll have lots of time on our hands."

Lance might have argued and prodded before, but he found he didn't really care. More shame shot through him. He tried not thinking about Blue. 

Once everyone got together, the metal doors opened up to a single rebel who Shiro seemed to know. The alien took them out of the base, through a section of underground tunnels and up onto the planet's surface. It was a small warehouse shielded by the planet's natural rock outcroppings. A small ship sat in its center. They were to take the ship themselves to a set of coordinates alone. Lance couldn't say he was sorry to leave the rebel base behind. It was nerve-wracking being in an area that's a probable target for galra. But he would miss the little home they made there. 

Hunk was the one to take controls, letting Katy find the coordinates while Shiro tried to get back in contact with the general. She told him to leave as soon as they could. She feared the fighting was going to spread to the skies. 

"And we're off," Hunk sighed, sliding through the opening hatch and exited straight up. Lance smiled a little as his stomach dropped, the forgotten feeling of a quick, small ship turning his insides a little. A good and a bad feeling. 

But as the ship exited orbit and set a course, the ship received a blinking message asking for communications. Shiro stopped anyone from responding and took to his communicator. 

"Commander, this is Shiro. Do you copy?"

_"Shiro, I hear you loud and clear. Over."_

"We're getting a communication request. It's safe to say that isn't you? Over."

_"No. It shouldn't be. I'd advise not to open that link-"_ There was a loud commotion in the background, but she still came through. _"Over."_

"Clear. Over. Ignore that, and keep going." Shiro seemed more on edge though. Lance worriedly tried not to read too much into it, but he got a bad feeling from the beeping Hunk quickly cut off. 

"Hey, you okay?" Keith asked, leaning over. 

Lance nodded, smiling at him. "Yeah, I'm cool. It's just sad to see the galra ruin this base. It was nice here."

"The rebels are strong. This isn't their first rodeo. And besides that, we're all together. So..." Keith shrugged. "That's all I really care about."

Lance bumped his knee with his own. Keith did it back, the two lapsing into silence as Hunk worked to get them into a path he could set for cruise control. They didn't make it very far before the beeping started again. Hunk switched it off, asking Katy to figure out how to cut off all communications completely. She set to work, and the beeping started again. Katy laughed as she shut it off. 

"Bye bye. No more of that noise," she waved to the now dead light. "It was probably one of those cheesy, surrender or die, galra monologues."

"Probably," Hunk said. 

The ship suddenly lurched. It gave a terrible jerk that threw Shiro and Katy on their faces, the only two not wearing straps. Shiro helped her on her feet, having her sit across Lance as took Hunk's place in the pilot's seat. Hunk buckled in beside him, immediately trying to familiarize himself with the controls. The rebel had given him only a quick overview, but he think he could handle it. 

"This isn't for fighting," Shiro snarled, another blast hitting the hull. Red lights filled the ship. An alarm warning of imminent power failure repeated itself. Several galra fighters positioned around them. "What the-! How did they know we were out here?! Dammit! Hunk. I think we need to turn the communications back on."

"Uh, okay, let me..." He fumbled a moment. The beeping started up again. This time, Shiro let the call through, teeth grit. 

"You're through," Shiro said simply. 

_"Good. I was beginning to think you wouldn't get the message."_

Lance's blood turned to ice. It was Sendak. 


	11. Chapter 11

Lance was rigid as the voice came through. It felt surreal to hear Sendak's voice again. Not just in his dreams. Not just in his head. He grabbed hold of the seat's edge, stopping his own breathing as he listened. 

_"I request you allow entry onto your ship, or we'll be taking it by force. And I cannot guarantee your safety should you choose to be difficult."_

Lance noticed how sick Katy looked. How pale and stiff Keith looked. How Hunk's hands shook over the controls as he focused on the ship's warnings. They had a hell to return to too. He gulped and tried to be strong. He didn't feel that he was doing a good job.

"We're not letting you on this ship, Sendak. And we're not going back into your custody."

_"Very well."_

A few galra pilots fired. The ship shook and the alarm reappeared. Hunk cursed and tried to do damage control, but the galra fired again. Katy couldn't help the small scream that escaped her as she covered her head, the ship rocking wildly as it was struck again and again. Lance grabbed ahold of her to keep them steady until it stopped. Keith was holding onto his seat like a terrified cat, and he saw Hunk practically smashing at the console in uncharacteristic anger. 

"Oh fuck, I don't wanna go back," Katy muttered under her breath. 

Lance didn't either. He tried to keep her calm while Hunk got the alarms to shut off. Or more on the nose, the ship shut off itself. The lights went dim and the hum of the frame ceased. The ship was just floating in space, completely at the mercy of the galra. He felt Katy shiver beneath him. He felt like crying too. 

Without communications, Lance could only guess what was happened. There was a solid thunk as something pierced the hull. Thin claws of metal sliced into the walls and clamped down. Shiro stood up, grabbing Keith as he ordered everyone back away from the wall. Keith was withdrawing his blade, while Shiro unholstered a blaster. But when the walls gave a loud churning noise and the metal suddenly pushed inward, Shiro was thrown off his feet and the Keith lost his hold on the blade.

Lance felt his head strike the wall, and he slumped down. His leg was caught under the edge of the wall and he looked up to see a short walkway of casing connecting to a larger galra ship. Armed troops were aiming their weapons and at the ready. Two jumped Shiro before he could recover, and Lance was barely able to shield himself before a gun butt came onto his head. He slumped, the whir of the blaster sitting at his temple. He groaned and lay still, heart still hammering as they were all hauled into the enemies ship. They were thrown to the floor while the casing was detached, leaving their ride to cast off to space and sealing them in with the soldiers. 

"Well, that was simpler than I imagined."

"Sendak," Shiro growled. 

Lance didn't look up. He stared at his hands, fighting the sudden leap of absolute terror. He fought the urge to beg Sendak for forgiveness, like he'd been taught. Not while his family was here. 

"It wasn't very hard to find you five," Sendak said. "You can't run from the empire, Shiro. It's a fool's errand. You should have accepted your fate the first time."

"We'll never accept galra rule," Shiro said. He lifted his head, defiant. 

Sendak smirked at him, then his yellow eyes flashed over to Lance. Lance could feel them, and looked up to meet his Master's gaze. He felt his whole body tense painfully. His lungs stopped working as Sendak walked to him. 

"Don't touch him!" Shiro barked, body thrown into the ground by a pair of soldiers.

They struggled to hold him as a third joined, but Keith had escaped the hold of his own captor's and kicked one of them across the face. He was tackled by another, though, and Sendak watched with a flick of his ear as Keith was restrained. He was getting impatient, Lance noted, and he started again towards Lance. Strong hands grabbed his shoulders and hoisted him to his knees. He wanted to shrink in on himself, but all he got for it was a harsh slap across the face. He heard voices blurring in and out of range before settling blurry eyes on Sendak. He was holding Lance's face up in a clawed grip. 

"Do you understand?" Sendak was asked. 

Lance blinked. Blood was dripping from his nose. "Wha-?" He earned a sharp shake to the head. 

"I said, if you leave again, I'll make you watch as I gut your friends. Do you understand?"

Tears pricked his eyes. He nodded as well as he could with Sendak's grip. "I-I understand."

He whined as he earned another slap. His head rung and Sendak jerked it back up. "What was that?"

It felt sick as the title left his lips. He had to make sure he wasn't looking at his friends. Humiliation made him hot. "I understand, M-Master."

"Good boy." Sendak gave him a kiss, then let go. 

"You- you, fucker!" Shiro shouted.

He pulled at his captors with renewed strength, nearly getting loose before Sendak walked over and clipped him across the face. He shouted as his leader fell over, awake but unable to draw back to his feet. Tears blurred his vision and he couldn't help the sob that escaped him. 

"Stop that incessant crying." Sendak snapped. He withdrew something from his pocket. Lance sobbed again as the collar was strapped around his neck, the tag bouncing against his throat. Sendak stood, clipping a leash to it and jerking Lance to shaky feet.

"Take the others to the holding cells."

"Where are you taking him?!" Katy thrashed, but she was easily picked up by a single soldier. Hunk was fighting back too, but Lance gasped at how bloody his face as. He earned yet another punch to the face and went down with a crash. Lance jerked away to go help him. He was physically yanked back, choking as Sendak curled the leash around his wrist. 

He shouted back for his friends as Sendak drug him from the room. 


	12. Chapter 12

"I see you've built back some of that rebelliousness while you were away," Sendak sneered.

Lance struggled as for breath as Sendak pinned him up against the wall. The galra had taken him to what looked like his personal quarters. Lance had freaked again when he saw the half-made bed. Sendak bit along his neck. His hips jutted and ground in between Lance's legs. The ex-pilot cried out and tried to worm away. 

"You little slut. You thought you could escape?" Sendak growled. "When you're safely back home, I'm going to make you think twice about ever disobeying your master again."

He stole another deep kiss from Lance. He nipped his bottom lip. Lance sobbed as his head was wretched back and Sendak started to rip off his shirt. 

"P-please, don't," Lance wasn't sure he could handle another rape. He shook his head. "Please, Master, I'm not ready."

Sendak grabbed his leg was hefted it up. He pressed back into him, stretching his leg up until it hurt. A hand swept down to his ass. 

"I'll take you when I please, slave," Sendak growled. His fingers trailed up to Lance's chest and the claws traced dangerously sharp over his skin. "But not now. I have to get us back in one piece, first. Then you'll _really_ be begging me to stop."

Sendak grabbed Lance's leash and forced him to the bed. He took the end and hooked it to a lock on one of the bottom posts. Lance cowered on the sheets, head bowed. 

"You're to stay here until I return. If you've left the bed, I'm killing one of your friends."

"You can't do that!" Lance shouted. Zarkon wouldn't let him! Would he?

"I will and I can. I'm being rather generous, Lance. Now, apologize."

Lance nodded and crawled up on all fours. He reached up to give Sendak a light kiss on the crotch, nuzzling him as 'I'm sorry, Master' rolled off his tongue. He kept at it until Sendak pulled away, huskily telling him again of the consequences. Lance sunk into the bed when the door shut closed with a lock. He sobbed into his arms and tried to block out the world. 

Lance was interrupted from his crying only a half hour later. The door slid open and he kept his head down, terrified of thinking that they'd made it back so quickly. But then thin fingers were grabbing at the leash and trying to yank it from the post with a curse. Lance looked up, startled, to see Keith with an eye swollen shut. Keith locked eyes with him. 

"I'm getting you the fuck out of here, Lance." He said. "Let me see, can I take it off?"

Lance realized he meant the collar. He shakily nodded and turned his head, face red as Keith leaned in to pull at the back strappings. When it came free, Lance grabbed Keith and drew him into a hug. 

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he blurted. 

"Thank me when we're out of here, okay?" Keith drew him up, helping him off the bed and throwing the collar aside like it burned him. 

"Where's everyone else?"

"We got separated," Keith said, pushing them out into the hall. Lance blinked at the two bodies crumpled there. He saw that Keith had one of their pistols in his belt. "Shiro managed to get a blaster from one of them and gave us a chance to escape. I think Katy and Hunk are with him."

Lance and him ducked behind a corner, Keith peeking out and giving the clear. His pistol went up and killed a solider just as the galra came around the opposite end of the corridor. Keith grabbed Lance's hand and tugged him into a closet when they heard more footsteps approaching. They stood int he dark silence as the galra ran past. 

"I'm sorry we couldn't protect you," Keith suddenly said. 

"Keith..."

"We're going to kill that bastard before we escape. We'll make sure he's gone for good."

Anger flared in Lance - a panic filled emotion of imagining Sendak gone. He grabbed ahold of his anger and strangled it. Sendak dead was a good thing, he told himself. A good thing. 

"H-how are we g-getting out of here?" he asked. 

"We find Shiro and the others," Keith began, "And we go from there."

Lance could only nod, letting Keith peek out into the hall. The red pilot bit his lip and looked back at Lance. 

"I could go ahead and find them. It'd be easier alone, but... but fuck, I can't leave you here."

Lance thought about snagging a gun for himself. He looked down at his shaky hands and thought better of it. If he was with Keith, he'd risk shooting him in such tight confines. 

"If it's easier...."

"No. It was a bad idea. Come on, we're clear to go."

He followed Keith, looking over his shoulder every few steps. It felt like his fear heightened every moment Sendak didn't pop out before them. The galra was going to be furious with him. Lance was relieved not to be alone.


End file.
